Oil analysis is one of the most potent tools in proactive maintenance and asset management. However, its effectiveness depends fundamentally on one critical factor: the quality of the collected sample. Even today, many professionals still take samples directly from...
I had a laboratory manager, over twenty years ago, complain to me that he wished I would stop pushing particle counting, as he was getting annoyed by clients asking for it after my courses. In his view, particle counting was necessary primarily for hydraulic oils and...
Lubrication analysis plays a vital role in predictive and preventive maintenance for diesel engines. Among the most informative tests available are Acid Number (AN) and Base Number (BN), two complementary measurements that provide insight into oil health, additive...
What is Condition Monitoring and Why Is It Important? In this age of artificial Intelligence and sensors that pop on and off, we often forget about the basics and where things all started. Condition monitoring began as a way to detect anomalies in our equipment using...
Varnish remains one of the main causes of premature failure in lubricants in service in turbines and compressors, and with a highly harmful effect on the mechanical components of the system. It is estimated that the failure of a gas turbine caused by the presence of...
If your maintenance strategy includes getting more life out of your lubricants while ensuring equipment reliability, then optimizing, not merely extending, your oil drain intervals should be your focus. The term "optimize" is preferred over "extend" when discussing...
Solid Particle Cleanliness In my previous articles, I have discussed how to achieve cleanliness within gearboxes and pumps, examining the entire aspect of solid particulate contamination ingress. However, I was recently asked by an engineer following the above...
Condition monitoring tools such as vibration analysis, ultrasound, oil analysis, and thermography are mainstays of a condition-based maintenance strategy, each providing a unique perspective on the health of critical rotating and reciprocating assets. Vibration...
Ferrous debris refers to small metallic particles, primarily iron, found in lubricating oils and greases caused by mechanical wear and damage to metal components. Early detection of this debris is critical, as it can indicate system wear before major damage has time...
In industrial maintenance and reliability engineering, few concepts are as intuitively powerful as the Pareto Principle—also known as the 80/20 rule. Originating from Vilfredo Pareto's observations of wealth distribution, this principle has evolved into a universal...
